NORTHAMPTON, MA – The Academy of Music Theatre in Northampton, MA recently turned to veteran touring sound engineer Jason Raboin to design and install a new sound system. Among the challenges: The speakers needed to provide consistent coverage without interfering with sightlines, and there were limited rigging options. The system Raboin designed centered around four Fulcrum Acoustic CX1595 15 inch Coaxial Loudspeakers powered by Ashly nXp amplifiers.
More details from Fulcrum Acoustic (www.fulcrum-acoustic.com):
The Academy of Music Theatre in Northampton, MA has a long and storied history as one of the nation’s first municipally owned theaters. Opened in 1891, the Academy quickly became a favorite stop on tours of leading troupes and big-name performers, ranging from Mae West to Harry Houdini. With the advent of film in the 1930s, the Academy screened silent films, soon followed by talkies, in addition to hosting live entertainment.
The Academy has evolved over time to support a wide variety of programming, including rock concerts, theatrical productions, films, literary arts, dance and youth programs. As the Academy evolved, the need for an updated sound system to support their diverse programming became increasingly apparent. The Academy recently turned to veteran touring sound engineer Jason Raboin to design and install a new state-of-the-art sound system.
The project presented a number of interesting challenges. The speakers needed to provide consistent coverage throughout the entire theater without interfering with sightlines to the stage opening, or distracting from the architectural beauty of the 125-year-old opera house. Additionally, the limited rigging options within the historic performing arts center demanded compact, lightweight loudspeakers as part of a visually unobtrusive sound system.
The system Raboin designed centered around four Fulcrum Acoustic CX1595 15 inch Coaxial Loudspeakers powered by Ashly nXp amplifiers. The CX1595 speakers provide the requisite output capability and optimal 90° x 45° dispersion pattern, while their lightweight, compact, visually unobtrusive design ensures minimal effect on sight lines and the Academy’s aesthetics.
Two compact, portable Fulcrum Acoustic Sub215 Dual 15 inch Direct-Radiating Subwoofers provide concert-level low frequency for the historic theater while also minimizing visual intrusion.
As a touring sound engineer for artists including Joan Baez, Modest Mouse and Lake Street Dive, Raboin has worked on a variety of audio systems in the field. Raboin claims, “I have not heard anything that sounds better than Fulcrum Acoustic speakers. When you combine their fidelity with their light weight and compact size, they really were the only choice for this installation. It was hard to believe that such a compact system would be able to cover the venue at the desired SPL, but the system exceeded our expectations and the theater’s design goals.”
Fittingly, the new sound system had its debut performance with Northampton’s annual Django in June Festival which features the “gypsy jazz” popularized by virtuosic guitarist Django Reinhardt in the 1930s and ’40s when the Academy also was in full swing.
Festival founder Andrew Lawrence remarked, “Django in June was so happy to offer the inaugural performance on the Academy of Music’s new sound system. I enjoyed the performances immensely and thought the sound was impeccable.”
